Locomotive sanding trap



any accumulation Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VIRGIL L. FRANTZ, OF ROANOKE,

VIRGINIA, AND GEORGE H.

KNAUFF, OF WEST ST.

PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNQRS '10 GRAHAM-WHITE SANDER CORPORATION, OF ROANOKE, VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA LOOOMOTIVE SANDING TRAP Applicationfiled November 18, 1930. Serial No. 496,496.

The invention relates to apparatus for sanding the wheels of locomotives and has special re erence to a novel. construction of sand trap embodying a peculiar blast nozzle combined with various structural improvements.

It is well known that a sanding mechanism generally includes a sand trap receiving sand from a sand dome on top of the locomotive and discharging it through a delivery pipe to a point adjacent the Wheels Where the same will fall upon the rails and provide traction. Ordinarily a'trap of this general type is provided with air blast means for creating a strong air current which will carry the sand into and through the delivery pipe, other means being provided for agitating the sand within the entrance leg of the trap so that it cannot become clogged or solidified, and still other means in the nature of a cleaning port being provided substantially in line with the entrance to the delivery pipe for the purpose of preventing clogging and removing of sand which may have falled to pass through at a previous operation. In devices of this general class difiiculty has frequently been experienced on ac count of the sand cutting away the walls of the trap, clogging of the blast nozzle andbackin up of sand into the blast nozzle with great etriment to whatever check valve means may be provided therein. Other difiiculties have been encountered one of which is the possibility of entrance 01 water into the trap at the union where it is connected with the sand supply pipe, and et another 0bjection has been breaking o of the relatively small agitating pipe which is located within the entrance leg of the trap. Other faults are known to engineers engaged in designing this type of apparatus but those above mentioned are sulficient to give an understanding of the real purpose of the invention and how it constitutes an improvement in the art.

Probably the most important feature of the invention lies in the provision of a novel air blast nozzle which enters the trap at the lower part of the entrance leg and which in accordance with our construction embodies a ball check valve which provides a spherical surface against which the inrushing air will impinge and be caused to expand within the main sand chamber so that the sand will be effectually carried out Without being whirled and cutting the walls.

Another detailed object is an improved mounting for the agitating pipe or delivery jet which will provide a brace therefor so that danger of its breaking off will be reduced to the minimum.

Still another object is to provide a reversal of the usual seat structure at the juncture of the inlet leg of the trap with the supply pipe therefor so that water leakage at this point will be entirely avoided. I

An additional object is 'to improve the general construction of a device of this type so that it will be simple and easy to make and assemble, positive in action, efiicient and durable in service, and a general improvement in the art. I

To the attainment of the foregoing and other objects and advantages, the invention preferably consists in the details of construction and the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

he figure is a vertical longitudinal section through a sand trap constructed in accordance with our invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates, generally, the sander body which is ordinarily constructed as a single casting and which includes a main or intermediate chamber 2, an inlet leg 3 and a pair of selectively usable delivery le s 4 and 5. Connected with whichever one of the delivery legs it is intended to use is a pipe 6 which leads to a position adjacent the wheels and the rails, for instance as indicated in Patent No. 1,263,722 granted to W. H. White, or numerous other patents which might be mentioned if necessary. The delivery leg) 5 Qcentral plug. By ourvball-check valve-this accumulation of frozen sand or the like therein. Furthermore at the juncture of the inlet leg 3 with the main chamber 2 there is provided an opening 12 Within which is mounted the blast nozzle device which is really the most important part of the invention and which will be hereinafter described with considerable particularity.

The blast nozzle device comprises an exteriorly threaded body 13 screwed into the hole 12 and secured against possible loosening by alock nut 14. The outer end of the body 13 is represented as enlarged and of angular shape for engagement thereon of a suitable wrench for eflecting turning into position. The outer portion of the body 13 is chambered at 15 for the reception of a fluid pressure supply pipe 16 leading from any suitable source, or rather from a control valve, not shown, interposed between it and a compressed air tank, pump or the like. The intermediate portion of the member 13 is chambered at 17 and counterbored at 18, there being consequently provided a valve seat 19 at the juncture of the two. Screwed into the outer end of the counterbore is a blast tube 20 which projects appreciably into the main chamber 2 of the trap and which serves to direct the inrushing air along this chamber for moving and discharging or delivering the sand to the pipe 6. The inner end of the chamber 15 is conical or tapered as at 21 and leads to a constricted passage 22 communicating with the chamber 17.

To prevent blowing back of sand into this blast nozzle device, we provide a ball valve 23 located within the counterbore 18 and urged by a suitable spring 24 into engagement with the valve seat 19. It will therefore be seen that pressure within the trap cannot blow back through the nozzle device but that when air pressure is supplied through the pipe 16 the ball valve 23 will be unseated so that air impinging against its spherical surface will be directed outwardly and through the counterbore 18 and tube 20 and be directed by the latter in expanded condition into and through the main sand chamber. It is consequently clear that the air blast will travel in a straight line through the sander body, this eliminating .whirling or other -conditionswhich might result in cutting thewalls of. the body. -We are aware thatinLcert-aifn old types of construction a needle blast oi has been used with the blast broken pp by' a construction is simplified and at the same time made more eflicient in the particulars mentioned.

Formed in the upper portion of. the wall of the trap body is a longitudinally extending passage 25 communicating at one end with a nipple 26 which receives a compressed air conducting pipe 27 which likewise leads from whatever control valve is provided.

This passage 25 extends upwardly along a part of the wall of the sand inlet leg 3 at which point it is customary to locate a deliveryjet or agitating pipe 28 which is customarily provided with any desired number of perforations 29 and which is intended to have its upper end closed. In the present instance this pipe or jet device is shown as broken off to indicate indeterminate height. Adjacent the inlet end of the cleaning (pipe 27 the upper wall portion of the trap bo y is provided with a cleaning port 30 which is located substantially opposite the center of the delivery pipe 6 and which is for the purpose of delivering a preliminary blast of air to the entrance end of the pipe 7 for clearing out an accumulation of sand which may remain a ter a previous operation of the entire mechanism.

An objection to the usual manner of mounting the agitating pipe or deliver jet 28 is the fact thatit is often broken 0 We have solved this difficulty by providing a counterbore or socket 31 at the upper end of the passage 25 and providing a threaded hole 32 of less diameter leading from this counterhole into the passage, In view of the fact that the agitating pipe or delivery jet 28 extends along witlnn the socket or counterbore 31 in addition to being screwed into the threaded portion 32 it is clear that it will have considerable of its length supported and that the walls of the counterbore will operate as a brace to prevent breaking ofl of the pipe or jet at the threaded portion even though some appreciable lateral strain might come on the pipe or jet for some unknown reason.

Another feature of some importance involved in the invention is the prevention of\ water from leaking into the sand trap at its juncture with the sand inlet pipe. We accomplish this by reversing the general mounting. The details ofthis arrangement are as follows: The upper end of the inlet leg 3 is exteriorly threaded as at 33 for engagement thereon of a union 34 which has an inwardly directed flange 35 enga ing over and upon an outwardly extending flange 36 at the lower end of the sand inlet pipe 37.. At its inner eriphery the jentranceend of the leg 3 is ormed with an ,upwardlyextending flange 38 which has preferably a curved outer surface and-which jams against a downwardly and openings or legs 4 and 5. This inclined passes from the sand dome through the pipe 37 into the inlet leg 3 but remains in the trap body owing to the fact that the bottom wall thereof slopes upwardly toward the delivery wall is represented at 40 and it is often preferable to provide an additional rise or projection 41 at the beginning of the delivery leg 4 so that the sand cannot jar out at unexpected times and be supplied to the delivery pipe 6 simply as the result of locomotive travel. When the usual or any preferred control valve, not shown, but which might be similar to that disclosed in Patent No. 1,521,799 granted to W. H. White on January 6th, 1925, or similar to the one disclosed in Patent No. 1,581,546 to W. L. Ranson on April th, 1926, is operated a preliminary blast of air passes through the pipe 27 and into the passage as well as 3 through the port 30. Air issuing from the port 30 acts to clear out the delivery pipe 6 and the leg 4 to which it is connected. Air

pressure within the passage 25 passes out through the perforations 29 in the agitating 5 pipe or delivery jet 28 and loosens up the sand in the inlet leg 3. When air pressure is fed through the pipe 16, either simultaneously with its feeding to the pipe27, or subsequently thereto, the ball valve 23 will be unseated o and the air impinging against the ball will pass out around it and flow directly through the tube 20 and escape therefrom in expanded condition and pass along the main chamber of the trap, the sand being thereby effectually forced out to and through the delivery pipe 6 and being applied to the rails. The action of the individual parts has been described above and it is thought that a repetition of any part should be unnecessary.

' From the foregoing description and a study of the drawing it will be seen that we have thus rovided a simple and inexpensive structure or the purpose specified and one which embodies not only the important feature of the blast proposition and its check valve, but also numerousrefinements which will constitute a distinct improvementand which will insure efliciency of the entire mechanism. s 9 While we'have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that the disclosure is merely an exemplification of the principles involved as the right is reserved to make all 5 such changes in'the details of-con'struction as will widen the field of utility and increase the adaptability of the device provided such changes constitute no departure from the spiritof the invention or the scope of the 0 claims hereunto, appended.

Having thus described the invention, we

. claim: I

1. In a locomotive sand trap, a trapbody .having an inlet leg for sand and anoutlet leg,

.5 a blast nozzle device mounted adjacent thedischarging into lower portion of the inlet leg and extending toward the outlet le said blast device including a constricted et and a discharge tube with a ball check valve interposed therebetween.

2. In a sanding device, a trap body having a sand inlet leg and a delivery leg connected by a main chamber portion, and a blast nozzle device located at substantially the juncture of the inlet leg with the lower portion of the main chamber, said nozzle device comprising an elongated body member connected with a source of fluid supply and having a constricted jet opening into a chamber, a discharge tube connected and communicating with said second named chamber and extending along the interior of the main chamber, and a spring pressed ball check valve located within said second named chamber.

3. In a sand trap comprising-a trap body having a sand inlet leg and a delivery leg, a blast nozzle device comprising an elongated body mounted within one end of the trap beneath the inlet leg thereof and having connection with a fluid pressure conducting pipe, said nozzle body having a tapered inlet chamber communicating with a constricted jet and having a valve chamber into which said jet leads in axial relation thereto, an outlet tube leading from said valve chamber and extending along within the trap body toward the delivery leg thereof, and a spring pressed ball valve located within the valve chamber and normally cutting off communication to the jet and opening under the application of fluid pressure to the inlet end of the nozzle.

4. In a sanding device, inlet leg-and air passage wit h a trap having an delivery leg'and having an a cleaning port near one end the delivery leg, said passage extending along within the wall of the inlet leg and terminating therein, said terminal end of said passage being recessed, and an agitating pipe located within the inlet leg, extending into said recess in spaced relation to the walls thereof and screwed into the passage beyond the bottom of the recess.

5. In a sanding mechanism, a trap having a sand inlet leg, a delivery leg and blast producing means, a feed pipe connected to the inlet end of the inlet leg, the inlet end of the inlet leg being formed with an upstanding flange at its inner periphery, said feed pipe having a beveled seat overlying and extending outwardly of said flange, and a union engagingthe feed pipe and having threaded engagement with the exterior of the inlet leg for jamming said seat upon said flange to make a tight joint.

6. A nozzle device for a locomotive sand ber with the jet being tapered, an outlet tube secured within the outlet chamber, said outlet chamber being provided between the jet and the discharge tube with a valve seat, and a spring pressed ball normally engaging said seat and acting as a check valve.

7. In a sanding mechanism, a trap having a sand inlet leg, a delivery leg and blast producing means, a feed pipe arranged in axial relation to the inlet leg, upstanding means on the inlet leg entering the feed pipe, means embracingly engaging the inlet leg and the feed pipe for securing the same together, the adjacent portions of said last named means and the inlet leg cooperating to define passages for conducting water away from the joint between the inlet leg and the feed pipe.

8. In a sanding mechanism, a trap having a sand inlet leg, a delivery leg and blast producing means, a feed pipe arranged in axial relation to the inlet leg, means on the inlet leg entering the feed pipe, and means embracingly engaging the feed pipe and the delivery leg for securing the same together, said inlet leg having its periphery formed with passages for conducting away water tending to enter the joint between the inlet leg and the feed pipe.

9. In a sanding mechanism, a trap having a sand inlet leg, a delivery leg and blast producing means, a feed pipe abutting the end of the delivery leg, means on the delivery leg entering the feed pipe, said feed pipe having an outstanding flange, and a union screwed upon the inlet leg and having a portion overlying said flange, the inlet leg being formed exteriorly with grooves extending downward- 1y from its upper end to below the union for conducting away water tending to enter between the inlet leg and the feed pipe.

10. In a sanding mechanism, a trap having a sand inlet leg, a delivery leg and blast producing means, a feed pipe abutting the end of the delivery leg, and a connection between the inlet leg and feed pipe formedto water passages for conducting away water tending to enter between the feed pipe and the inlet leg.

11. A sand blast nozzle and a feed pipe therefor, said nozzleand pipe having a telescoping joint therebetween adapted to prevent water carried by the exterior surface of said pipe from entering said 'oint.

' In testimony whereof we a 1: our signatures.

.VIRGIL L. FRANTZ.

GEORGE H. KNAUFF.

provide 

